French Quarter resident says shooting aftermath "looked like chaos"

June 30, 2014 at 2:58 AM CDT - Updated July 2 at 10:50 AM

A web camera caught the Bourbon Street shooting on tape; a group gathered at the corner of Orleans and Bourbon Street. Near the top corner of the footage, you see a man in a dark shirt lift his arm, and suddenly, the crowd scatters. The video shows the shooter fire off a few more rounds, before running down Bourbon St.

Jacqueline Richardson was sleeping in her upstairs apartment when it happened.

"I heard 'bam bam bam',"said Richdrson, who has lived in the French Quarter for nine years. "It woke me up, then I heard this lady under my balcony screaming in pain. I got up, all I know she and a few other got shot. It just looked like chaos."

In that chaos, caught on camera - a man goes down. A few feet away, an officer and others passing by, rush to help a woman laying face-up in the middle of the road.

The New Orleans Police Department says the early morning shooting started with an argument between two men. Nine people were hit, all victims caught in the crossfire of the shoot out, which left visible damage behind - including a hole in the door of the Bourbon Heat nightclub.

In a press conference at the scene, NOPD Chief Ronal Serpas called the two shooters "cowards".

"This is a heinous crime," said Serpas."This is two young men, both armed with firearms, who chose to settle a dispute between themselves without a moment's care for anyone else."

A lack of police presence has been a common complaint among residents and business owners in the area, but the NOPD says at least 15 officers were on duty on Bourbon St. when the shooting took place. At least 25 officers were patrolling the 8th district, which includes the French Quarter.

"Within moments, within seconds, police officers were on the scene doing what we want them to do," said Serpas.

Police are still working to identify the two men and why they were fighting in the first place. Serpas is asking witnesses, businesses, and visitors to come forward with information.

According to police, two of the victims are listed in critical condition, six are stable and one has been released from the hospital.